Lamp fixture for annular fluorescent lamps



M y 1950 HVBRAINDEIS 2,506,575

LAMP FIXTURE FOR ANNULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Filed Jan. 2, 1947 2Sheets-Sheet 1 y 950 H. BRANDEIS v 2,506,575

LAMP FIXTURE FOR ANNULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Filed Jan. 2, 1947 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 9, 1950 LAMP FIXTURE FOR ANNULAR FLUORESCENTLAMPS Harold Brandeis, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Colonial-PremierCompany, acorporation of Illinois Application January 2, 1941, SerialNo. 719,853

This invention relates to'a. lamp fixture, and particularly to such afixture that permits mounting of an annular fluorescent light tube in amanner to require support at only one [portion of the tube. v

Heretofore it has been considered necessary to support annularfluorescenttubes at a plurality of points widely spaced around theperiphery of the tube. In structures of this type the shaft on which thesupporting members were mounted had to be centrally disposed, relativeto the annular tube, in order to obtain a balanced design with theresult that a great portion of the light was"general1y wasted becausehalf of the tube was so far from the object to be illuminated.

In the fixture of the present invention the major portion of the annulartube is on one side of the shaft so that the light is concentrated inthe area to be illuminated and the base and shaft are not in the way.The annular tube may be mounted on the support quickly and easily, andthe weight of the tube cooperates with the support to provide stability.The tube is firmly held against accidental movement relative to itssupportbut may be readily removed for rep1ace--' drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fixture embodying the invention withthe annular fluorescent tube in its starting position for insertion;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the fixture with the annular fluorescenttube mounted on the support in its final position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional View, taken along theline 3-3 of Fig. 4, showing the annular fluorescent tube mounted on thesupport in its final position, with a. reflector mounted on the tube;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top elevation taken substantially along the line44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing the annular fluorescent tubein position to be mounted on the support. I

In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indi-- cates a base to which anupright shaft 3 is secured in any suitable manner. The upper end of theshaft is bent over, as indicated at l, to form a horizontally extendingbracket 5. The" bracket may be a separate member secured to the shaft inany suitable manner instead of being integral therewith. A socket 6 isrigidly secured to the end of the bracket. A plurality of prongreceivingopenings 1 are positioned at the bottom 5 Claims. (Cl. 24051.12)

of the socket and extend upwardly at an angleof about forty-fivedegrees. The socket has an flat strip of metal bent downwardly from thetop of the bracket to fitv under an annular fluorescent light tube I2.The outer ends l3 and I4 of the arms are curved upwardly so that theannular fluorescent tube can be placed in a vertical position indicated'in I Fig. 1 wherein prongs l5, constituting terminals for thefluorescent tube, extend receiving openings 1.

The contour of the arms 9 and I0 is such, that as the annular tube isrotated from its vertical upwardly adjacent prong' position to ahorizontal position prongs [5 will be guided into prong-receivingopenings 1 which are sufficiently wide to permit the rotational entry ofthe prongs. When the annular tube reaches its horizontal position .itsupper side engages overhanging lip 8 which is shaped to conform tothe'outer circumference of the tube and the prongs are engaged withspring pressed contact terminals I6 which are positioned in eachprong-receiving opening.

It will be seen from the above description that arms 9 and I 0constitute a fulcrum for the annular fluorescent light tube so that theweight of the major portion of the tube urges the prongs into contactwith the socket. Although it is very easy to position the annular tubeon the lamp fixture, or to remove it therefrom, it is practicallyimpossible for it to be dislodged accidentally because it must be turnedto a vertical plane in order to remove it from the fixture.

Each arm engages the underside of the annular tube so that the tube issupported at two points on its under-surface and at one point on its topsurface. The top point of support is positioned between the two bottompoints of support. The arms supporting the underside of the annular tubeare preferably spaced only a short distance on opposite sides of socket6 so that all three points of support, which constitute the sole supportof the tube, are positioned within a single quadrant of the annulartube. This close spacing of the tube supporting structure keeps thelarger area on one side of the shaft free of shadows and concentratesthe maximum light intensity where it is desired. The area of eachsupporting member inwardly, as indicated at 2B, and then downwardly toform resilient fingers 2| adaptedto fit: around the side of the annulartube.

Although I have described apreferredtembodiment of my invention inconsiderable detail, it

will be understood that the description is illus-r trative, rather thanrestrictive, as many details of structure may be modified orchangedwithout Accordingly, I do not desire toberestricted .to the exactstructure described, except-as limited by the appended claims.

I claim: ,1. .A fluorescentlight tube fixture-comprisinganuprightwshaft, asccket suported by said shaft,

said socket being positioned with its prong-receivingopenings at. itsbottom, an-Vannular fluo- ,rescent .light tube having aplurality ofprongs projecting therefrom, said tube being rotatable from a.substantially vertical-plane to a substantially horizontal plane toengage saidprongs with said openings, and a pair of arms positioned onopposite sides .ofvsaid socket and spaced a short distance therefrom,said arms cooperating with ,said socket to supportsaid annular tube inits horizontal position when said prongs arein engagement withsaidprongreceiving openings.

2. .A fluorescent Y light tube .fixture comprising afso-oketengaging thetop surface of an annular .fluorescent tube to constitute one point ofsupport, .and. a pair of arms engaging the bottom .surfaceof said tubeat points spaced a short dis- 'tance from opposite sides of said socket;said threespoints of. supportconstitutingthe sole supfi'portofisaidannular tube.

ferenc'e of the tube.

4 3. In combination with an annular fluorescent light tube, a fixtureincluding a socket and a pair of arms constituting the only support forsaid tube, said socket engaging the top surface of said tube and saidarms engaging the bottom surface of said tube, the distance between thethree points of support along the circumference of said annuq lartubebeing less than one fourth fo fxthe circum- .k 4. A lamp fixturecomprising abase, a shaft extending upwardly from said base, a horizontallydisposed bracket extending from said shaft, a socket mounted onsaid bracket with its prongreceiving openings on its bottom, a pair ofarms positioned in a. planebetween said socket and said shaft, and anannular fluorescent light tube mounted on said arms with its prongsengaging the openings in' said socket, said socket being spaced "fromsaid shaft a distance less than one half the diameter of said annulartube, whereby the weightof the major-portion-of said tubetendstoholdsa-id prongs insaid openings. 1 Y a 5-. Incombination-,anannularfluorescent light .tube, a fixturehaving a pairofarms,said tube restin on said arms, the vertical plane .extendingthrough said pair of arms being positioned between a parallel vertioalplane tangential to theperiphery of said'tube and a parallel verticalplane through the-centenof said annular tube, whereby the portion of the,tube on one side of the fulcrum tends to move the portion-on the otherside upwardly, and a socket positioned above said last mentionedsidegsaidsocket coop-' crating with said arms to supportvsaidannula-rtube. in ahorizontal plane.

HAROLD BRANDEIS.

REFERENCES crrnn The following referencesare ofrecord in the 'Johns June6,1944

:OTI-IER REFERENCES Lighting anol'Lamp's, January 1944, pp. 'l'6 l8.

